Corrugated plastic containers that are returnable and have excellent break strength and sanitation properties have been proliferating in recent years. Corrugated plastic folding containers with added folding functionality are now being used for this type of corrugated plastic container in order to achieve improved transport and storage efficiency when not in use.
Corrugated plastic containers are used for storing a wide variety of goods with various forms, and thus containers with various shapes and sizes are used. One form of container is the long folding container. Long folding containers are larger in the height dimension than in the width dimension, and a folding structure is typically added to the opposing side panels, because the width becomes greater than the width of the floor panel when the side panels are knocked down as-is, making the container extremely unwieldy.
Folding reusable shipping cartons, which are an example of this type of conventional folding container, are composed of side panels, a floor panel, a frame that is provided on the upper part of the side panels, and a gate panel that is rotatably provided on the frame, and folding reusable shipping cartons are well known in which the support points of the hinges that link the frame with the side panels and the floor panel with the side panels are provided at different heights (e.g., refer to patent document 1).
Additionally, although not considered to be long folding containers because their height dimension is smaller than the width dimension, folding containers are well known that have a box-shaped upright configuration in which the panels are formed from non-foamed plastic panel or corrugated plastic having a bonded wave-form plastic core. Left and right side panels that are connected via half-cut hinges to the four edges of a square floor panel along with front and rear latch panels are formed, half-cut hinges are provided mid-way along the height direction in the left and right side panels, and the front and rear side panels are attached to the front and rear latch panels using face fasteners (e.g., refer to patent document 2).